County food-access profile · Oklahoma

Pushmataha County, OK

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Pushmataha County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

24.5%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
17.7%
on SNAP
11K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OK

The food-access picture

24.5% of Pushmataha County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 3 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
6.7%
households, no vehicle
20.7%
below poverty line

Low access = living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket. Food deserts add a low-income condition (USDA LILA, 1-and-10-mile measure).

USDA data puts Pushmataha County's low-access share at 24.5%, above the national share. 2 of the county's 3 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 2,830 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,089 low-income residents.

How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts

The USDA measures food access by distance to the nearest supermarket. A census tract is "low-access" when a meaningful share of residents live more than one mile from a supermarket in urban areas, or more than ten miles in rural areas. A tract becomes a "food desert" only when it is both low-access and low-income, because distance is far harder to overcome for households without a car or a cushion in the budget. Counts on this page are aggregated from the tract level, where the federal data is actually published, so a single county figure can hide neighbourhoods that are much better or much worse served than the average. Distance also does not capture everything that shapes whether a family eats well: the presence of a full-service grocer rather than a convenience store, public transit, food pantries, and the price and quality of what is on the shelf all matter beyond the radius the Atlas can draw.

How Pushmataha County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Pushmataha County's 24.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 57% of them and ranked #1,332 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Pushmataha County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 3 census tracts in Pushmataha County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Pushmataha County, OK USDA-defined food-access tiers: 1 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 3 tracts evaluated. 1 tracts adequate (33.3%) 1 tracts limited (33.3%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (33.3%) Adequate 33% Limited 33% Severe 33% Food-access tier distribution: Pushmataha County, OK
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Pushmataha County vs. other Oklahoma counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Oklahoma

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Pushmataha County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts3
Atlas Population (2010 basis)11,572
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population2,830
Low-Access Share24.5%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,089

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Pushmataha County
IndicatorValue
Population10,790
Median Household Income$47,940
Poverty Rate20.7%above the national average
SNAP Households785
SNAP Participation Rate17.7%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.7%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.1%
SNAP participation in Pushmataha County 17.7%

About 17.7% of Pushmataha County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 24.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 17.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 785 households here.
  • 6.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access).

USDA low-access figures reflect the 2019 Atlas (2010 tract populations); socioeconomic context is the latest Census ACS 5-year (2024).

What the food-access data shows for Pushmataha County

above the national share

1 of Pushmataha County's 3 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.

An estimated 2,830 residents, roughly 24.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,089 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 1 tract (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Pushmataha County

Pushmataha County has 15 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 7 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 7

  • buffalo vally handy stop, tuskahoma
  • choctaw travel plaza - antlers, antlers
  • circle 7 general store 1, clayton
  • e-z mart 4255, antlers
  • k-ray's family discount store, antlers
  • kwik chek 126, antlers
  • sobol general store 1, fort towson

Combination Grocery/Other · 4

  • dollar general 8175, clayton
  • dollar general 20912, rattan
  • dollar general 603, antlers
  • family dollar store 6609, antlers

Farmers' Market · 1

  • antlers market, antlers

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • gardner grocery llc, antlers

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • choctaw country market, clayton

Super Store · 1

  • pruett's food - antlers, antlers

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Oklahoma

Compare Pushmataha County vs Adair County → · All Oklahoma counties →

Food access nationally, Oklahoma in context

Pushmataha County sits inside Oklahoma (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Pushmataha County has low food access?
24.5% of residents in Pushmataha County, OK live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Pushmataha County?
17.7% of households in Pushmataha County receive SNAP, covering 785 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Pushmataha County?
The poverty rate in Pushmataha County, OK is 20.7%, with a median household income of $47,940 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Pushmataha County a food desert?
1 of Pushmataha County's 3 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Pushmataha County households lack a vehicle?
6.7% of households in Pushmataha County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
Data Sources & Methodology

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019): low-access and food-desert tract classifications, low-access population, and low-income low-access counts. ers.usda.gov/food-access-research-atlas

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates: population, median income, poverty, SNAP participation, vehicle access, and group quarters. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs

Low access is defined as living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket; a food desert adds a low-income condition. Read the full methodology →

Data current as of (most recent source-data vintage; figures reflect the 2019 USDA Atlas and 2024 Census ACS).

Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.